This is a common theme with dieters.

“Oh, my body is too used to eating a lot, I’ve got to train it to eat less”.

It’s similar to the idea: If I can just find the right diet, my cravings will go away.

Except this is kind of like: If I can just eat small enough for a while, then I’ll train myself to eat a small amount always.

And this is the only sound logic behind it: If you eat a small enough amount for long enough, you will wreck your metabolism and you won’t be hungry. 

You’re right.

If you wreck your metabolism well enough, you’ll totally ruin your appetite.

You’ll also become lethargic, irritable, cold, and your body will slowly break down. Weeeeee!

But what will likely happen between now and your totally wrecked metabolism, is a LOT of hunger.

Your body knows what it’s doing. When you cut back on food, it will fight back.

“EAT!” (that’s what your body is saying)

It wants you to eat. That’s how it keeps you alive. That’s how it tries to give you the chance to speed back up your metabolism and get back to normal health.

So our idea that we can train ourselves to eat less is actually true. But if we want to get to a low metabolic state, we probably going to push past that phase when the body tries to get you to eat with binges, and you’ll have to develop anorexia. Most people can’t get there. Most people’s bodies fight back so hard that they end up in Binge-land for decades. This is a gift.

You are not supposed to train your body to eat a small amount of food. That’s an eating disorder.

And if you are bingeing I want you to understand that this is what is SUPPOSED to be happening when you restrict or try to eat less. That’s the sign of a healthy functioning body, fighting for your life. Your body needs you to eat everything. And then finally freaking trust it.